Anime Title: Yosuga no Sora (Sky of Connection) / ヨスガノソラ

Yosuga no Sora (ヨスガノソラ?, lit. "Sky of Connection") is a Japanese romance/drama adult visual novel developed by Sphere. The game was originally released for Windows PC on December 5, 2008.[1] It was adapted into a serialized manga and a TV anime series. A sequel/fan disk titled Haruka na Sora was released later on October 24, 2009 which contains new and expanded scenarios for several characters from the original game.

Plot

Tragically orphaned by an automobile accident, the Kasugano twins travel to their grandparents' countryside residence via railcar, hoping to reconstruct the shards of a shattered life. With an uncertain future, Haruka Kasugano clings to memories of the past, hoping to find the strength he needs to protect his ailing sister. With a destiny irrevocably tied to that of another, Sora Kasugano clings to moments of the present, drawing comfort and security from the company of her brother. Two lonely souls so physically alike, yet spiritually divergent, unaware of the challenges these conflicting expectations will unveil in the days to come.

The protagonist of the series. With a gentle appearance and slim profile, in many ways Haruka is the splitting image of his fraternal twin sister Sora. Personable and honest, he forges lasting friendships with remarkable ease. Haruka copes with the loss of his parents with a stout heart, burdened with the knowledge that the future of his delicate sister depends on him. As a result, he has a tendency to dote on his sister and worry about her constantly. He cannot swim either. The Kasugano siblings are well regarded around the village, as their grandfather was once a doctor there.

The main heroine of the series, she is a quiet, fragile and reclusive girl, and fraternal twin sister to the main protagonist. Ill and frail since birth, Sora was denied the sort of independent life that many take for granted. Yet beneath Sora's angelic doll-like appearance lies a troublesome personality that’s prone to withdrawn laziness and demonstrates a rather severe lack of social graces. In all honesty, Sora doesn't care for anyone else, and would much rather just surf the Internet and eat instant food, for as long as Haruka is always by her side. It's implied that her strong bond with Haruka, strengthened as a result of the tragic loss of their parents, may be leading her towards fantasies of incest between twins. She hates Nao, although it is implied that they were once good friends. She is often seen carrying a rabbit doll, which she received as a present before she and Haruka left the village.

Beautiful, intelligent and an excellent swimmer, Nao is Haruka's next-door neighbour and childhood friend. When the Kasugano twins last visited the area, their departure was particularly painful for Nao, who had grown quite close to Haruka, to the point of having sex with him on one occasion, about which she feels guilty. Upon their return, she attempts to rekindle their former close relationship. Nao’s compassion and maturity projects a sense of sisterly love towards others, though for Haruka there is a deeper and more intimately sensual feeling. Sora harbors great resentment towards the popular Nao, because she thinks that she will steal Haruka away, because Sora saw the pair having sex when they were younger.

The ever-cheerful Akira lives alone at a small yet sacred Shinto shrine. Since the passing of her foster father two years ago, she has been in the care of Yahiro, who lives nearby. Akira’s energetic liveliness is contagious to those around her, with an innocent personality that makes befriending the girl second nature. Due to her residence, Akira spends much of her time practicing the habits and traditions of a miko (shrine maiden), including performance of requisite ceremonies and holiday festivals. She also devotes a lot of her time to helping the elderly in the village, making her beloved by all.

Kazuha Migiwa (渚 一葉 Migiwa Kazuha?)Voiced by: Ryōko Ono (game, anime)

The stunning daughter of an influential magnate, Kazuha lives a cultured life that some might compare to that of modern princesses. Sharp-minded and attentive to detail as a result of her parents' constant travels and long distance liaisons, she learned from a young age to behave responsibly and befitting her social standing. Nevertheless, Kazuha does not consider herself superior to others, and doesn't hesitate to lend a helping hand whenever asked. Kazuha is an experienced viola player, yet she shies away from playing in competitions, preferring to play only for those she cares for. She dotes on Akira constantly and worries excessively for her well-being, and this leads some to speculate that they may be romantically involved.

Motoka is a college student struggling to make ends meet, working as a maid in the Migiwa Household to pay for her tuition expenses. While not ideally suited for household chores, her warm compassion and captivating personality offset these deficiencies. She is best friends with Ifukube Yahiro, a notorious drinker, which makes Motoka’s low tolerance to alcohol a particularly hazardous social issue, especially since she has a particular fondness for the taste of sake.

Chairman of the Student Body, a position of serious responsibility and important functions, Kozue is often seen as a stick in the mud by her peers. She nevertheless cares for them, only nagging to mitigate the potential community damage. This often proves to be a full time job however.

Best friend to Nogisaka Motoka and proprietor of a family owned candy store, the rouge looking Yahiro would prefer spending her time sleeping and drinking. In truth, the ill tempered and sardonic mannerisms hide Yahiro’s true personality: a woman whose past is a field littered with the shattered glass of lost dreams, forgotten promises, and broken romances.

For all his faults and freakish behavior, Ryouhei is the kind of person you can always count on, in spite of being a self-confessed idiot. Carefree and spontaneous, he brands himself as the ultimate ladies man, applying cheesy pickup lines whenever a pretty face draws near. Yet when the situation calls for it, Ryouhei can offer profoundly sound advice, with an eye that quickly identifies the root of a problem.

Release historyThe game was originally released for Windows PC on December 5, 2008. A sequel/fan disk titled Haruka na Sora was released later on October 24, 2009 which contains full scenarios for Kozue and Yahiro, an expansion to Sora's story from the original game, and additional bonus material.

AnimeYosuga no Sora was adapted into a 12-episode anime series that started airing on October 4, 2010. Each episode consists of a 22-minute feature segment and a 3-minute omake segment. The main plot of the anime is presented in a multi-arc branching format that independently tells the stories of Kazuha, Akira, Nao, and Sora while sharing certain common episodes. The title of each episode incorporates the names of the characters it concerns. The bonus segment focuses on Motoka's story, relying more extensively on humor and super deformed character designs. Each segment has its own ending credit sequence in each episode.

Drama CDThe game release of Yosuga no Sora was supplemented by several drama CDs made available to pre-ordering customers at select Japanese retailers.

MangaYosuga no Sora was adapted into a manga of the same title, serialized since the May issue of Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine.

Music

The OST for the original game, with music composed by Manack, was released by Sphere on 27 February 2009.The OST for the anime adaptation, with music composed by Manabu Miwa (Manack) and Bruno Wen-li, consists of both new compositions and newly-arranged versions of tracks from the original game. It will be released on two CDs, subtitled "Arrange" and "New", accompanying the Japanese Blu-ray Disc release of the anime with volumes 1 and 3 respectively.